


To Run Wild

by Kabyan



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26195287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kabyan/pseuds/Kabyan
Summary: Annabeth is going on a solo quest and Zeus isn't keen on involving her boyfriend Percy Jackson in it. So when Aphrodite suggests that she pretends to be Annabeth, Zeus immediately accepts. Only Athena won't allow Aphrodite to ruin their relationship. But is there anything to ruin at all?
Relationships: Athena/Percy Jackson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my native language so proceed with caution.

Chapter 1  
Athena was sitting on her golden throne and listening to Zeus going on and on about the quest her daughter Annabeth was going to take. It still hasn't ceased to amaze her how much her father liked to hear himself speak.  
“And remember, no one should know what your delicate mission entails.” Zeus continued to stress the importance of discretion. Perhaps, several millennia of life did improve one's ability to say the same thing in different ways. Or maybe it was just a natural talent of his. “Don't tell anyone anything, especially Poseidon's son.”  
There the Sea god shot her father an annoyed look and Athena surprisingly found that she couldn't really disagree with him on this matter. It was a stupid quest to retrieve some thing that the mighty Sky lord once deemed appropriate to gift Hera in order to cover for his yet another infidelity. Apparently, just a few days ago a new child of Zeus was born. Of course it surprised nobody but the timing of all of this was truly wrong. It meant that while all other gods were concentrating on the war with Gaia Zeus bedded another mortal. So the Queen of Olympus threw the thing in a fit of rage. Maybe she should have just broken the offending item against his head. Athena shuddered in disgust and once again was glad she didn't have to endure some stupid unfaithful failure of a husband.  
And now Annabeth had to bring it back. Did her father really think it will earn him his wife's forgiveness? Athena could already tell that Hera's well-deserved cold treatment would last long enough and he wouldn't get off that easy.  
“Yes, about that, my lord,” her daughter thankfully interrupted his never ending speech. “We seem to have a slight problem here. Percy will definitely search for me if I suddenly disappear without any words.”  
“So think about something to tell him that will satisfy his curiosity.” Zeus retorted without care. “Not the real reason.“  
“It's not curiosity that is the problem, lord Zeus,” Athena easily read the demigod's desire to roll her eyes. “After the war when I nearly died too many times to count and, mind you, that are not my words, Percy became extremely overprotective. I have no doubts that he will attempt to follow me even if I tell him the best lie of my entire life. And we don't want that, do we?” Annabeth boldly spoken the last sentence and fell silent.  
“Surely you are exaggerating.” Zeus said dismissing her concerns.  
“I won't be so sure, father,” Hermes voiced unexpectedly. “Percy almost chopped my head the other day when I startled him.”  
“That's hot,” Aphrodite interjected dreamily and clapped her hands in delight. Everybody looked at her strangely but she ignored the stares. Abruptly the Goddess of love exclaimed. “I know what we need to do! One of us can simply morph into Annabeth and Percy wouldn't need to know anything at all.”  
“That's not a bad thought,” Zeus immediately supported the idea. He wasn't keen on involving Poseidon's son as disaster always followed the boy wherever he went. And disaster didn't go well with discretion.  
Now the disbelieving looks were directed at the King of gods. He frowned and glared right back but Hera's gaze in response made him to avert his eyes. Zeus coughed almost embarrassed.  
“So that's decided,” her father boomed. “Now do we have any volunteers for the task?”  
“Wait a minute, brother!”  
“I can do it!”  
Poseidon's outraged shout and Aphrodite's gleeful one both sounded at once.  
“Firstly, there is no way I will allow Aphrodite near my son. Secondly, brother, the moment when we,” the Sea god emphasized the pronoun, “decided must have slipped my memory.”  
Who knew Poseidon could be sarcastic, Athena thought to herself.  
“Fine, Poseidon, let's vote. All in favor of Aphrodite's idea raise your hand.”  
Athena couldn't believe her eyes. They were outnumbered! She looked at Annabeth in sympathy but to her surprise her daughter stayed calm throughout the whole exchange.  
“Now as we came to agreement,” Zeus clapped his hands in satisfaction, “we can vote on Aphrodite's candidature.”  
“Stop it,” Athena spoke clearly. She was practically horrified by what she was going to say next, but Annabeth had suffered enough. Maybe it was time she finally sacrificed something for her brave girl. “I'll do it.”  
The goddess of Wisdom kept her face impassive not liking the undivided attention of all council. But she brought that on herself and she wouldn't let them see her uncertainty.  
“All in favor,” Zeus asked and Athena almost wished it wouldn't pass. But it did and now she was going to spend the unknown amount of time with Poseidon's son.  
Her rival threw her a suspicious glare however he didn't try to protest anymore. Evidently, even Poseidon could understand that between Aphrodite and herself the choice was obvious.  
“Then the meeting is adjourned,” Zeus quickly said and flashed away in a lightning.  
“Why the sudden desire to have some fun, Athena?” Aphrodite innocently blinked at her and she briefly struggled with the strong wish to send the vain goddess to Tartarus. There couldn't be a better place for Aphrodite to 'bring love' to.  
“I'm doing this so you can't toy with my daughter's happiness, Aphrodite,” Athena coldly responded. “She doesn't need your meddling.”  
“I wouldn't be so sure but what do I know about love, right?” She tapped her well-manicured nail against her perfect lips and sized Athena up. “Should be interesting anyway.”  
With those words the goddess of Love departed. Others followed her soon and finally the only ones left were Annabeth, Poseidon and herself.  
“I hope you are sincere in your intentions, Athena.” Poseidon spoke in a carefully moderated tone. Of course she wasn't dumb to take it for anything other than a warning and a threat it was.  
“I want what's best for my daughter.” She hated to explain herself to him but if after that he left her alone she had to. “Apparently, she thinks that's your son. I won't interfere with that.”  
“Good,” the god of seas slightly inclined his head and flashed away.  
Now it were the two of them. Athena shrank to a mortal size and walked up to Annabeth who looked at her in wonder.  
“I really didn't expect that from you, mother.”  
“Well,” Athena smartly said and shrugged. “What's done is done. Now tell me exactly what sort of a mess I got myself into.”  
Annabeth sighed heavily and her facial expression became rather pensive.  
“Percy is very confused right now and tends to hover over me. Although the demigods are naturally resilient to mental trauma, Percy has suffered a lot of hardships and he is afraid of losing people. Lately we had a fight about it so he won't probably bother you that much.” Annabeth frowned and fell silent. After a pause she whispered sadly. “He is just trying to rebuild his life. We all do.”  
“How do I act around Perseus?” Athena questioned preoccupied with the task ahead.  
“First of all don't call him Perseus. It's a huge giveaway. Just act normal, you know. I take after you so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to emulate me. I guess you should act according to situation, mother, and everything will be good. Also, you can send me an Iris Message if you have any questions.”  
Athena looked at her daughter searchingly. Clearly it couldn't be all, could it? That wasn't enough information. Couldn't Annabeth give her some useful pointers? What would she talk about with Perseus if she didn't know anything about him? What if he asked her about something Annabeth should know and she didn't. And what if he wanted something physical with her.  
“You will be fine, mother. Percy is not some kind of monster and moreover I won't call him particularly observant.”  
Athena shook her head and stared at her in disbelief.  
“How can you date someone, Annabeth, and expect them not to notice that something is amiss? Why date that person at all then? If you are replaced and it doesn't make a difference.”  
“I didn't mean it like that, mother,” Annabeth said defensively. “Let’s just say that I believe in your acting abilities and quick thinking.”  
“You seem awfully relaxed about the whole matter, daughter,” Athena muttered thoughtfully and studied Annabeth more closely. However demigod's carefully schooled features betrayed nothing of her inner feelings though Athena could sense waves of impatience and exasperation rolling off her. Was it Athena who simply didn't understand modern relationships of mortals?  
“I just don't see the point of being nervous about such trivial matters anymore, mother, when you can handle it. It's not like the fate of the world depends on this.” Annabeth stated coolly. “Do you have other questions? Cause I need to go pack for my quest.”  
“Yes,” the goddess of Wisdom spoke in an equally chilly tone, “I do. Why did you agree to this quest when you could easily refuse?”  
“That's the thing, mother, I didn't want to refuse. I wanted to return some normalcy to my life and I think this stupid mission is just what I need.”  
“Then I wish you luck, daughter,” Athena said formally.  
“Likewise, mother,” the demigod nodded and without further ado walked away leaving her mother to stare at her back dazedly.  
Athena had a feeling she had sacrificed herself for nothing. Her daughter clearly didn't appreciate her efforts. What's more she didn't value her relationship with Perseus enough to stay and try to work around whatever issues they had. The goddess felt like a complete fool at the moment but that didn't change anything. She would succeed in her mission if not for Annabeth then just to prove that she could do it. Besides now Athena felt even more frustrated about the whole thing. She was certain that Poseidon's son was the one for her child.  
With the newfound resolve she walked to her palace and soon she stood before the mirror critically studying her features that were more and more resembling her daughter's with each modification. After nearly half an hour of careful work she was sure no one would tell them apart. But appearance was the easy part. The hard one was actually to behave like Annabeth. And the question of whether she knew her daughter enough to pass as her still stayed.  
She decided to spend the night there to get herself in the right frame of mind. The goddess of Wisdom then meticulously replayed in her head every interaction, every observation she had made about both Annabeth and Perseus.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
The next morning Athena flashed near the camp and briskly walked to her cabin. Thankfully it was still early and nobody tried to talk to her. Upon entering she was greeted by her son Malcolm who looked quite agitated.  
“Hey, Annabeth, Percy was looking for you again,” he said with more force than was necessary in Athena's opinion. “So could you, please, go and calm him down?”  
“What happened?” Athena decided to ask first.  
“What happened?!” Malcolm angrily exclaimed and raised his hands upwards. “You disappeared yesterday without any words, that's what happened, Annabeth. Once again! I don't know what is your problem with Percy but stop doing it to him.”  
“What did I do? I just had some urgent business on Olympus. Surely, Percy can survive without my company for a while.” It would be a massive understatement to say that Athena wasn’t thrilled to offer excuses and defend herself.  
“You could have the decency to warn him at least,” now her self-restrained son outright yelled at her. “That's not the first time you do something like this and Percy doesn't deserve it.”  
“I'll find him,” the goddess quietly murmured and turned away from her son.  
Now she knew with absolute certainty that the situation between Perseus and Annabeth was bad. Moreover Malcolm thought it was her daughter's fault.  
She tried to sense the son of the Sea with her godly powers and soon followed the powerful source of high-strung energy that she guessed was Perseus. Athena wasn't surprised when she was led to the ocean. Of course he would seek comfort there. Though the water was far from being calm as huge waves were crushing loudly against the shore.  
Perseus stood facing the ocean his hair blowing in a strong wind. He looked tense and gloomy. With each step that took her closer to him Athena felt more and more nervous before the confrontation with Annabeth's boyfriend. And then she became annoyed and angry because now she had to offer excuses to a mere demigod. Not any demigod though but Poseidon's son. Athena reminded herself that she was a goddess and she brought all that load on herself. Besides if there was a demigod deserving an apology from her it was Perseus.  
“Pers… Percy.” She stumbled upon his name but quickly corrected herself. He whirled around and ran to her. Athena took in the wild and desperate look in his sea-green deep eyes while he was examining her for any injuries.  
“Are you alright, Annabeth?” At last he spoke and she noticed the tiny waver in his voice.  
“I am,” she affirmed quietly. He silently stared at her for a long time and she couldn't take it anymore. She averted her eyes because the look in his eyes was just too much. Too much emotions and too intense. And there was no judgement or anger. It was so confusing. What does she do now? Should she tell him sorry?  
“Where have you been this time?” He sounded sad. That side of him was completely new to the goddess and she found she didn't like it. During all their previous meetings Perseus was the righteous hero and that infuriated her so much she wanted to exterminate him. He had such a cheeky spirit that brought out the worst from some gods, her in particular. But his current state of mind felt wrong somehow.  
“I had to go to the Olympus. It was all very sudden.” Athena told him uneasily but he continued to watch her silently. It was unexpectedly unnerving. “l sincerely apologize for making you worried about me.” She waited for him saying that he forgave her but he did nothing of the sort. Athena felt frustrated by his quiet and those bright see green eyes of his trying to pierce her soul. “I won't disappear on you like this again.” The goddess of Wisdom finally choked out. There it was, the utter humiliation that she had to produce excuses for something that she didn't even take any part in. Furthermore, she wasn't particularly prone to apologize in general.  
“I don't need you apologies, Annabeth,” Perseus softly spoke at last. “I just need to be sure that you are safe because I care about you a great deal.”  
“I can take care of myself, Percy,” she nearly stumbled on his name again but caught herself just in time.  
“I know you can,” he didn't protest her statement. “But that doesn't mean I don't want to protect you with everything I am.”  
Athena didn't have a clue how she should respond to it. Surely, saying that she didn't need it, would sound plain stupid. Before she had time to think some clever response Perseus spoke again.  
“Perhaps, I was too thick to realize what you've wanted to get across to me all this time,” he sounded resigned and had a look of utter heartbreak on his face. “Clearly my concern is stifling you and you want your freedom to do as you please. You want to run wild, Annabeth. And you want to do it alone. I just wish that you talked to me about it. But now I see that I'm part of the problem here no matter how much I wished otherwise.” He turned his head away but Athena caught a single tear sliding down his cheek. His next words she was able to discern only due to her godly hearing. “I hope you'll return to me one day.”  
When he turned to her again it was only to whisper, “Be safe, Wise Girl.”  
And then he proceeded to walk away from her.  
“Wait! Perseus!” Athena desperately cried. “Is it a goodbye? Are you breaking up with me?” He couldn't do it. It was not in the plan. He couldn't break up with her when they didn't even start. She would never live down the ridicule. Aphrodite would have a field day if Athena failed miserably on the first day. Poseidon would blame her for the broken heart of his favorite son and would be more insufferable than ever. And let's not forget about her father who would hold her responsible for all the mess he himself created in the first place.  
“Isn't that what you've wanted?” he asked rather bitterly.  
“I don't know!” The goddess confessed with frustrating sincerity. And she didn't, couldn't know. Was he right about Annabeth wanting her freedom even from him?  
He, though, wanted to date her daughter. That was the only thing she was sure about because people didn't jump in Tartarus without thought for someone they didn't love.  
“Then talk to me, Annabeth,” the young demigod pleaded softly coming closer to her and taking her hand. “Please don't just exclude me from your life. I want to help you with whatever plaguing you.”  
Her daughter's words suddenly came to mind and she improvised quickly.  
“I think I've just lost myself after the war and now I'm trying to rebuild my life.” She was searching his features intently in order to understand his reaction to her guess. He tightened his grip on her hand and looked at her gently as if encouraging her to continue. And she did, trying to put herself in mortal's shoes. “I need to know who I am without the war or whom I could have been. If I was an ordinary person I would have been very different. It's those lost possibilities that I want to explore. Does it make sense?”  
“Of course it does. I've wondered about it myself.” He lowered his gaze to their clasped hands for a moment but then he was looking in her eyes again with cutting sharpness. “But do you think going to clubs, getting drunk so much you can't stand afterwards and associating with questionable people is what you've missed?”  
Athena stiffened and unconsciously pulled her hand away from him. How did he dare to accuse her daughter of such things?! Her girl would never do that. But the grave look in his eyes said she had.  
“What do you know about it?” she demanded furiously.  
“Only what I've seen with my own eyes when I searched for you those several times,” he calmly answered and then frowned anxiously. “You remember that, right?”  
“I do,” the goddess replied tensely hoping Annabeth didn't drink enough to suffer alcoholic palimpsests. Her mind was burning with thousands of questions. When did it start and why didn't she notice anything? She whispered quietly to herself, “What should I do?”  
“Talking would be a great start,” Perseus suggested gently. She didn't realize she was speaking aloud and almost forgot he was there and she was impersonating Annabeth. She blinked at him attempting to compose herself.  
“Well, we are talking now, aren't we?” she said dismissively and stared him up and down expectantly as if he had all the answers. She loathed to admit it but he definitely knew Annabeth better than her. “What's the next step?”  
“Maybe you could try and change the setting and do your soul searching elsewhere?” he gave her a moment to think it over and then continued unhurried. “I was going to visit my mom and Paul in a few days. Do you want to go with me? Perhaps, there you'll find whatever you seek. I'm here for you, Annabeth, and I want to be there for you. With you.”  
Athena carefully weighed the proposal and decided it could have worked. Perseus seemed to have at least some idea what her daughter needed. The only problem was that his proposition was not in fact made to Annabeth who had successfully changed the scenery but was currently out of reach. It was bad, however the good news was that the quests usually didn't go well with bars. Anyway the only thing that Athena could do in this situation was to wait for her daughter to return and then confront her about her new lifestyle. Apparently, she was silent for too long because his face fell in disappointment. She saw that he was going to withdraw again and in a split second she made up her mind.  
“I'll go with you, Perseus.”  
For a moment he beamed at her happily but then he frowned suspiciously.  
“We've already had this talk about personal boundaries and freedom and you've made your point very clear but I hope you don't feel like I'm forcing your hand.”  
The goddess raised her brow and answered bewildered, “Certainly not.”  
“Good,” he looked relieved and Athena was left to wonder about their relationship again. She thought they were a perfect couple with a temporary rough patch but reality proved to be much more complicated. “That's good.”  
Perseus hesitated briefly but then drew her in a loose hug. Athena stood unmoving nearly for half a minute but then slowly placed her hands on his shoulder blades. She didn't remember when was the last time somebody hugged her. And it wasn't unpleasant, only unexpected. He smelled of sea and somehow his presence was reassuring and comforting instead of invasive and unwelcome.  
“We'll sail through everything together,” he whispered with conviction.  
At that very instant she believed him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
After Perseus released her from his embrace and stepped away, Athena felt lost. She didn't know what to do next and had no idea how to communicate with him. It wasn't because he was her daughter's boyfriend. It wasn't because he was Poseidon's son either. The simple truth was that the goddess of Wisdom just didn't associate with people in a casual manner and was out of her depth. Besides from the gods her usual company consisted of scholars, artists, philosophers and such and her relationship with them was lacking both in closeness and warmth. She appreciated their intellect but it wasn't personal and this suited her just fine. However something told her that with Perseus she would be forced to step out of her comfort zone.  
Meanwhile the young hero was looking at her with a soft expression and a slight smile.  
“Do you need some time to be alone?” he asked with careful consideration. Apparently, she seemed visibly confused or he was really attentive, something she would never associate with Poseidon's spawn.  
“I… yes, please,” she answered, truly surprised by his thoughtfulness and tact.  
“Alright then. You can still catch breakfast, by the way,” Perseus informed her gently.  
“What about you?” Athena decided to sink into the role of dutiful girlfriend and show him some care.  
“I've already eaten. I wanted to speak with my dad and then I'm doing my training. You are welcome to join me at any time.”  
“I will,” Athena nodded at him a tad bit more formally than she intended. After a short hitch she added quietly, “Thank you, Percy.”  
Not giving him a chance to reply, Athena swiftly turned and marched away.  
Her first impulse was to use Iris message and demand explanations from Annabeth. On the second thought she realized it would be counterproductive. In their last interaction her daughter wasn't giving any impressions she would be straightforward and open with her, quite the opposite in fact. Annabeth had good reasons for it, of course. And the only person who Athena could blame for that was herself.  
Only after the war with Kronos and the oath Perseus managed to extract from Zeus did she finally see the full picture of abandonment issues and anger that the demigods held against their godly parents. Athena always tried to help her children to pull through but it wasn't nearly enough to form strong personal connections. Her children barely knew her and the time they could spend together was limited by the divine laws.  
At first she was really happy when Annabeth started working with her rebuilding Olympus after the war. But then she became more and more disappointed because their contact boiled down to business and Athena didn't know how to change it. She wanted to play a greater role in her daughter's life, to be more than the distant benevolent figure who could be bothered only in the life or death situation.  
She was privy to Annabeth's brilliant mind but not to her inner thoughts, not to what made Annabeth who she was. Annabeth didn't confide in her, didn't speak anything about her personal history or past experiences, didn't share her present concerns. And Athena wanted to know those things directly from her daughter.  
Perseus had a tremendous advantage over her as he actually took a huge part in those events along with Annabeth. He had proved himself and earned her daughter's trust. That's why Perseus was essential to leading Annabeth away from the destructive path. Thus she couldn't let him break up with her daughter.  
As she didn't need to eat, Athena walked back to her cabin. Perhaps, Annabeth's things would provide her with the deeper insight in her daughter's life.  
Once again she faced Malcolm upon entering. He was sitting so that he could see who came in. It didn't take being a goddess of Wisdom to pick up on who he was waiting for. Athena smiled at him thinly and simply lifted her brow.  
“So how was your talk with Percy, Annabeth?” he asked with a scathing undertone. “Is our camp safe from the imminent danger?”  
“I wasn't aware about any sort of danger threatening us now,” Athena answered impassively. Either he was hinting at her visit to Olympus yesterday and possible reasons for it or he was meaning something else.  
“So Percy isn't in the washing-away-the-camp mood?” he specified obligingly.  
“Not at all,” the goddess gave a curt reply. For the sake of accuracy or rather not letting anyone have the last word, her son or not, Athena then stated a bit patronizingly. “I'm sure Percy isn't capable of washing the camp away even if he wanted.”  
“I'm not,” her son replied nonchalantly. “Back to my first question, if you would.”  
“I would not,” Athena huffed indignantly. “That's private, don't you think?”  
“I suppose, that's true,” Malcolm nodded and raised his hands in surrender. He didn't say anything else and she went upstairs feeling his eyes that were trying to burn a hole in her back.  
Athena quickly located Annabeth's room and looked around. It was tidy and at first glance nothing stood out. Clothes, huge stacks of books and much more makeup than she would presume. Unfortunately, Annabeth didn't supply her mother with a diary, but after a thorough search Athena found a false ID and stared at it blankly. It was logical as Annabeth wasn't of age to purchase alcohol but Athena still couldn't shake the disbelief away because this situation didn't match her perception of her child at all.  
The goddess looked through some books but she wasn't in the mood for reading. She was apprehensive about dealing with the whole camp pretending to be her daughter and more so with Perseus, but she couldn't stay in this room forever. She sighed and got up, it was time to face Perseus again.  
Athena slowly made it to the arena cautiously avoiding crossing path with a few demigods in sight. She watched the training from afar using a bit of her godly powers to blend with her surroundings. The goddess wanted to observe Perseus in a natural setting when he was unsuspecting of her surveillance.  
Perseus was currently sparring with two young demigods that she didn't know. He was mostly fending off their strikes and rarely counterattacked. One of his opponents finally tried to get behind his back and for a second she thought it might work. But then Poseidon's son turned swiftly and parried the attack with a force that made his opponent to stumble. The other one struck at his seemingly unprotected side but Perseus sidestepped and taking advantage of the first one's weakness quickly finished him. Now it was one on one duel that soon was ended with Perseus winning. Then he proceeded to correct their mistakes and show them some moves. After that he changed his partners and the cycle repeated anew.  
Athena knew he was a good swordsman, his many heroic accomplishments were confirmation enough even for her and she was, she admitted to herself, a little unfair to him from the start. But never would she think that Poseidon's son could be good at helping others to learn. He just didn't seem the type but she was proved wrong. Perseus was really patient and encouraging and the younger demigods clearly looked up to him.  
He was very different from what she remembered and expected. He was soft and caring when she recalled stubborn and unyielding. The goddess remembered how annoyed she had been because he had never lowered his gaze in front of her. He never caved before any authority figures but he wasn't disrespectful to her either. He was maddening and as indomitable as the see.  
Now when she got a completely new perspective on him, Athena supposed that she had made a mistake assessing him. She underestimated and misjudged him, only seeing a small part of who he was. It was high time to acknowledge that she was never impartial towards him because of his heritage.  
Athena was so absorbed in her musings that she didn't notice the end of the training. She was startled when somebody lightly laid their hand on her forearm. The goddess flinched but managed not to jump in fright and focused her attention. Of course, it was Perseus standing next to her.  
“Sorry, I called your name, Annabeth, but you didn't react,” he explained and took his hand away. “Why didn't you join the training?”  
“I'm tired of fighting,” Athena delicately shrugged her shoulders. Well, she couldn't in good conscience tell him that her true battle skills were nothing like Annabeth's. The duel would inevitably reveal the truth that she was not Annabeth. Maybe she could fool some campers but now she was absolutely sure that Perseus would immediately catch the difference.  
“I understand,” he nodded with that fascinating sympathy in his bright green eyes. “However there are still monsters around.”  
“But you'll protect me, won't you?” in an unexpected bout of craziness Athena blurted out almost teasingly and briefly wondered why she did it. But then she pacified herself that it was a perfect distraction technique to reduce his seriousness.  
“I will,” he replied with not a moment of hesitation and looked at her with that soft expression that she was already getting accustomed to.  
“By the way, you were good with the young demigods,” Athena commented in order to break this strange moment of something that she couldn't name.  
“Thank you, I want them to have the best chances at survival. They should be prepared for the dangerous and cruel world they were born into.” A gloomy shadow brushed heavily over his features and he suddenly looked much older. “I despise the fact that they could be thrown into a war without a choice like we were.”  
“At least console yourself that you are doing something to help them,” Athena said and awkwardly put her hand on his shoulder in a gesture of support.  
He covered her hand with his own and smiled at her sadly. After a moment Perseus shook himself out of the dark thoughts and released her.  
“Alright, enough of that. I'm going to study for college a little. What about you?”  
“I'll go with you,” Athena quickly decided. “I don't think my help would hurt.”  
“I'd be a fool to refuse,” he readily agreed. Then Perseus grinned at her and playfully offered his elbow. “Shall we?”  
“We shall,” Athena gave him a regal nod, her lips twitching in an involuntary smile, and took his arm.  
They went in a comfortable silence to Poseidon's cabin. Athena was half-dreading foul socks and piles of garbage but she was pleasantly surprised by the state of cleanness. It was worse then Annabeth's but not by much.  
Perseus offered her a chair and told her that she was free to choose herself a textbook. The goddess did so but she was only pretending to read. In reality she was watching the young demigod whose mimic turned out to be quite expressive and thus more interesting than her book. He was writing something in his notebook frowning and chewing his pen. Then Perseus looked at the ceiling as if the answer would miraculously appear there but it did not and he sighed. After that he vigorously crossed out what he had written previously and ruffled his hair in frustration.  
Athena coughed to attract his attention and asked, “Do you need some help?”  
He nodded and she brought her chair closer to him. It seemed he was having problems with Maths, but it wasn't long before he grasped the principle after her elaborate explanations with different examples. Under her supervision he did good with the next tasks and gave her a wide smile.  
“Thanks for the patience, Wise Girl,” his voice was filled with gratitude, but then his smile disappeared and he added self-deprecatingly. “You know I'm not the studious type.”  
Athena met his gaze and for a moment she caught there uncertainty and vulnerability as if he found himself inadequate, lacking. As if he was not enough.  
“You are doing fine, Perseus,” she told him firmly, not giving herself time to think. “Believe me.”  
He looked at her searchingly and then a smile slowly blossomed on his face.  
“Alright,” he whispered. “If not you then who.”  
With those words he turned back to his studies leaving Athena to ponder over what had just transpired and all the hidden implications. She knew that like most demigods he had a troubled childhood and suddenly the goddess couldn't understand why she had never even thought about his emotional baggage before. Her view of him was indeed one-sided and flat. Perseus was much more complex and Athena was intrigued.  
She was ceaselessly cataloging the new data when they went to lunch and dinner and in-between. They didn't speak much because Athena's answers were rather short as she didn't want to say the wrong thing and ruin the charade. Apparently, Perseus picked it up and interpreted as unwillingness to talk and gave her space.  
Now it was a late evening and they were standing in front of her cabin ready to say goodbye for the night. Athena was amazed to realize that though the day was not a little bizarre it was not, in fact, bad. Perseus didn't annoy her and he wasn't dull or stupid. His company was quite tolerable. At least for the moment.  
Athena was pulled out of her musings when the demigod abruptly cut the distance between them. She briefly panicked that he was going to kiss her because of the tender look in his eyes, but he only embraced her tightly and the goddess relaxed reciprocating the hug.  
“I've missed you so much,” he quietly murmured in her hair. Athena inexplicably felt a tiny speck of guilt as he was saying that to a wrong person. He thought that his relationship with Annabeth was on its way to being fixed when in reality there probably was a bigger crack than before because her daughter chose to flee and leave him behind. The goddess knew that his fatal flaw was loyalty and that he wouldn't give up on her daughter no matter what. However she was also aware of the stubbornness, hubris and failure to admit her mistakes that Annabeth inherited from her godly mother.  
“I'm sorry, Percy,” she told him unexpectedly, his short name slipping past her lips with surprising ease.  
He loosened his grip and stepped away slightly so that he could see her face.  
“It's alright, I understand,” he said sincerely. Perhaps, he did but she couldn't say the same for herself. She was sure that her face betrayed nothing of her thoughts but Perseus somehow seemed to sense her turmoil. “It may look not like this but everything will be fine in the end.”  
“Do you truly believe it?” Athena couldn't help the question.  
“Of course, I do,” he nodded without delay.  
“I hope you are right then,” Athena pulled herself together and got out of his arms. “Good night, Percy.”  
“Sweet dreams, Wise Girl,” he gave her a last smile as she turned away and went through the door.  
The goddess quickly swept to her room only sparing her children a sideways gaze. She paced the room for a few minutes and finally stopped by the window looking out of it.  
Perseus was still standing near the porch, the light from the lamp illuminating his face. His head was tilted backwards and his eyes were closed. He was smiling serenely.  
Athena turned away.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
Athena was making her way through the forest, self-restraint being the only thing that prevented her from cursing as her path was far from clear. Perseus told her to meet him at their usual place in the forest. If it wasn't for her godly powers allowing her to sense his presence, Athena would surely never find it.  
Next morning they were finally going to visit his mother and stepfather. It was Athena's fourth day at the camp and, overall, it wasn't hard to deal with Perseus. Surprisingly, the most trouble she got from her children who were not very fond of Annabeth at the moment. Unlike Perseus, they were not prone to quick forgiveness and seemed to hold grudges. It was rather disheartening so Athena spent almost all her time with the son of the Sea god.  
She was getting accustomed to him and it was astonishingly easy. Perseus didn't get on her nerves and he was mature for his age and wasn't intrusive or cloying. It was actually relaxing to walk with him along the beach, although usually the water would be her last choice of location. Yesterday he invited her to watch sunset over the ocean and it was beautiful. It was a very long time since Athena let herself stop thinking and just be in the moment. She enjoyed it and Perseus was simply there, his shoulder lightly pressed to her own.  
The studying was going well too and though he claimed not to be a studious type he was dedicated enough. She also watched with interest how he trained and taught other demigods. Their only time apart was at night and during meals when the goddess endured her children's not so kind glares.  
Everything with Perseus seemed to go calmly and smoothly but Athena couldn't shake the feeling that he suspected something wasn't right. It wasn't his words or his body language but sometimes he would look at her strangely with a tiny frown when she, probably, said or did something out of character for Annabeth. And it frustrated her a little because she was doing her best and couldn't even guess at times what had been done wrong. And his suggestion to meet at their place while not unusual was viewed by the goddess as a test.  
His presence drew nearer and at last the goddess could see the light penetrating trough the trees. She swiftly straightened her hair and clothes getting rid of the forest debris and only then moved towards Perseus who was sitting on the grass with his legs crossed and face turned to the sun. He didn't notice her as his eyes were closed and Athena looked around. It was a nice clearing with bright grass and a small stream running.  
Perseus looked so peaceful and comfortable and Athena envied him in that moment. How could it be that he possessed that wonderful capacity to enjoy life to the fullest or at least seem like he did? She didn't understand what drove him and how he got there. It didn't sit well with her preconceived image of him. And she wanted to know very much, it was in her nature after all.  
“Don't you want to sit?” suddenly sounded from the demigod who still had his eyes closed.  
“How did you know I was here?” Athena asked.  
“Well, I heard you,” he answered simply.  
“But I was quiet,” Athena protested a bit indignantly.  
“You were not,” he said with a smile in his voice. “Besides I can feel you though now the feeling is somewhat different than before.” There he opened his eyes and was looking at her attentively.  
“That's because I'm different from before,” Athena told him truthfully and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. It was curious that he could feel her, but she had to save that fact for later. “Surely, you are not saying that you haven't changed.”  
“No, you are right,” Perseus readily agreed with her. He sat up and looked carefree no more. “If we both changed then I'd like to know the new you. Though I can guess what hasn't changed.”  
“And what would that be?” the goddess curiously asked.  
“Your passion for architecture, of course!” he exclaimed with a grin.  
“You've caught me,” Athena retorted and hoped that her expression wasn't too strained. She liked architecture well enough, but she wasn't crazy about it like her daughter. “But while we are here I'll try to contain myself.”  
“Oh no!” the demigod lightly objected. “I don't want to limit you and I've missed you a lot. So I'm all willing ears. I've recently looked through a book or two to better understand what you mean.”  
“That's generous of you,” she said wholeheartedly. Annabeth's enthusiasm often could be described as over the top. And it wasn't an exaggeration as Athena herself was subjected to it. So his offer was really sweet, as much as the goddess despised this word because it strongly reminded her of Aphrodite. It was truly touching that he had bothered to read a book on the topic. Athena knew that no one from her family would do the same for her. Well, maybe Hestia but even she wouldn't do it without prompting like he did. “I really appreciate it, Percy. Did you enjoy the book?”  
“I guess,” the demigod shrugged his shoulders and averted his eyes, “it wasn't bad.”  
Athena understood that he didn't want to offend Annabeth and whether the book was good or bad he certainly didn't enjoy it. However it didn't make her think less of him, quite the opposite in fact. That he would go through the book he didn't like meant more to her. Though, her critical thinking kicking in, Athena couldn't see how it would endear Annabeth to him or fix their problems. Was he simply desperate to reconnect with her somehow?  
“It's nice to know that someone truly cares about your avocation, but I'm sure we can find other topics to talk about,” Athena told him magnanimously. That being said, the goddess almost instantly realized that she hadn't thought it through because of her impulsive decision to spare him. She could hold a lengthy discussion about architecture without any difficulties but she wasn't so confident about any other subjects he might choose. All their time together Perseus was the one to direct the talk and he was always respectful towards personal boundaries and sensitive spots. He was careful without going overboard and he created a laid-back atmosphere so Athena wasn't usually wracked with tension wondering what to say. It was almost as if he was building their relationship from scratch. Of course, the son of the Sea god could not know that was exactly what was happening.  
“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly, his face open and affectionate. “You look like you are miles away.”  
“I'm not,” Athena gave a mirthless tiny laugh. To buy herself some time she finally went up to him and sat on the grass. Her eyes were immediately drawn to his soulful gaze. It was near impossible to turn away and break this connection as Perseus was looking with so much concern, attention and desire for understanding. And his green eyes when looking at her were always so warm, deep and serious. It made lying to him very hard and uncomfortable, and the goddess was absurdly positive that if she tried right now she would fail. She also couldn't offer him empty platitudes as he would not be fooled. Athena decided to go with the version of the truth. “It feels as if I jumped off the cliff and landed in an unfamiliar place. And now I'm walking blind with no idea what to do and how to make things right again. You've been so kind when I didn't expect it.” Athena frowned and with a defeated sigh declared. “To be perfectly honest I don't deserve your kindness at all.”  
“Don't you think I'm the one to decide that?” he spoke in a reasonable voice. “Blaming yourself won't help, Annabeth. You've made mistakes like we all do but nothing incorrigible happened. I don't want to make an impression as if I'm sweeping everything under the rug but I'm ready to move past it. You are a smart one, undoubtedly, conclusions were drawn.”  
“Yes,” Athena murmured under her nose distractedly. “But conclusions are rarely associated with actions. It's not enough to realize something, you need to do something about it, change your behavior patterns.”  
“What's stopping you?” he raised his brows, completely unfazed.  
'And wasn't this a good question?' Athena pondered silently. Did she grow complacent or was she too set in her ways? Why has she never thought about it before? She was always quick to notice someone else's faults but she has never checked herself. And she hated when someone tried to point out her mistakes. Life proved that she knew next to nothing about Perseus and her daughter. When she failed to establish the kind of relationship with Annabeth that she desired she should have changed her approach instead of giving up and accepting the situation as it was.   
“Do you think I'm arrogant?” the goddess of Wisdom suddenly spoke without any infliction in her voice. She was boring into his eyes but the question didn't shake his calm.  
“And what do you mean with this word?” the demigod swiftly returned her question with his own.  
“Too proud and acting as if I am better or more knowledgeable than other people,” Athena summarized it tonelessly.  
His face took a funny expression. The goddess was at a loss how to interpret it, but she felt brief satisfaction from penetrating his calm. It wasn't fair of her to ask him such a question but she was genuinely interested in his opinion. Despite herself Athena trusted him to be upfront with her.  
“I won't lie to you,” Perseus carefully began, “there are moments when you behave exactly like you described. But no one can deny that you have grounds for it because you often appear to be right. However it's not a trait that dominates your behavior and defines who you are.”  
Athena didn't ask what were the traits that defined Annabeth in his view because she already had a good guess.  
“Do you think Athena is arrogant?” the goddess pressed further.  
“Should I be the one to answer that?” the demigod tried to deflect the question, but Athena was staring at him persistently. He sighed then. “I must warn you though that I may be prejudiced against your mother. I mean she wanted to kill me just for my existence!” he exclaimed indignantly and shook his head. “It didn't endear me to her, I'll tell you. In all fairness, though, I don't know her at all so I can't say for sure. Did she seem arrogant when she was in my presence? Then yes. But I can't know how she is with other people. With you she must be completely different.”  
“So that's a yes,” Athena flatly concluded.  
“I think so,” the demigod responded with a quizzical tone. He shrugged and looked at her sympathetically. “I'm sorry if that isn't what you wanted to hear. But my opinion shouldn't matter. You dreamed to meet your mother for so long and I remember how excited you were to finally work with her. You've always looked up to her.”  
Athena lowered her eyes that were strangely burning. Annabeth was excited to meet her! Apparently, Athena failed to match her daughter's expectations.  
“What's wrong, Wise Girl?” Perseus asked her worriedly. “Did you have a fight with your mother?”  
“No,” the goddess numbly answered, “it could hardly be called a fight.”  
“Then what is it?” Perseus wasn't letting it go. “What's upsetting you?”  
“I've always longed for a mother-daughter relationship,” Athena admitted with a painful grimace, allowing herself to be truthful for the first time. Her mother, Metis, was swallowed by Zeus, her father, and she never knew her. The thought that her own daughter wanted the same and Athena was unable to provide it hurt. “Perhaps, I'm not suited for that,” she whispered with defeat, looking at her knees.  
“Don't say it! You are wonderful!” Perseus hotly objected, but the goddess didn't react. “Look at me, please,” he then softly requested. Athena reluctantly lifted her gaze, almost afraid to meet his eyes and somehow unwilling to listen to his words that were not addressed to her. Athena braced herself and established eye contact again. Naturally, it seemed as if his soul was going out for Annabeth. It wasn't meant for her and that made her feel – she couldn't find the proper word – unsettled, perhaps, though it was far from accurate. She had no right to receive reassurances from him but the worst thing was that for a moment she wished she had. “Your mother loves you and cares about you. She gave you means to survive, she even overcame her distaste and advised me how to escape those Skeleton Warriors. And it wasn't easy for her, I'm sure, but for you she did it. Didn't she praise your skills? Whom did she trust to make battle strategies with? You are her greatest pride and joy, Wise Girl.”  
'It was all true,ʼ the goddess sadly mused. 'But was it enough? It didn't seem so. It was clear that Annabeth didn't regard her as a mother. Athena certainly couldn't blame her for this. If there was a need for closeness that Perseus indicated, it was gone now.ʼ  
“Annabeth,” Perseus called her quietly. He might have waited for an answer for a while, but she could not come up with one. “You know those things, right?” Athena nodded jerkily, practically in diagonal, something in between yes and no. A frown appeared on his forehead and his eyes narrowed in sudden understanding. “Has she ever told you than she loves you?”  
The goddess could only stare at him in muted horror and mortification.   
“She hasn't,” Athena finally choked out and her vision became oddly blurred. She heard a loud splash of water nearby and then some more noises of water swirling that soon abruptly stopped as Perseus regained his control. The goddess knew he might be angry at her on Annabeth's behalf.  
“Oh, baby,” he exhaled barely audible and then opened his arms. “I'm here for you if you want. Always.”  
Four days ago Athena would have never done it but now she flung herself in his arms without hesitation. To her his embrace felt like a refuge, he was her guide in this new world of self-discoveries and revelations. It was selfish to accept the comfort he offered, but she couldn't help it, she needed it.  
Sitting on his lap and clutching his shirt tightly, with his arms securely wrapped around her, Athena felt shielded from the storm inside of her. It was slightly ironic considering that his father, Poseidon, was The Stormbringer. Though, coming to think about it, wasn't his son the one to bring that storm on her with his words?  
Athena never thought impersonating her daughter would be easy, but the whole deal was getting more and more complicated, more and more personal. So little time had passed and her world was already shaken to the core. The goddess tried to remember when was the last time she was similarly distraught. At first nothing crossed her mind but shortly after she remembered. It was long ago when Pallas died by her hand. Triton rightfully hated her and she had no one to turn to. She could not comprehend why she was feeling that way now, the death of her friend and her talk with Perseus could hardly be compared and yet.  
The goddess took a deep breath inhaling his now familiar scent and buried her face in his shoulder. Perseus stroked her back slowly and laid a tender kiss on the top of her head and then another one. Athena should probably be embarrassed or scandalized by her position but instead for the first time in her life she was fully encompassed by affection and warmth. He oozed love and protectiveness, it was rolling off him in waves, and she was greedily soaking it in.  
Athena didn't know how long it had been before her grip on him loosened and she felt more like herself. She was hastily putting her walls and locks in their place, preparing to separate herself from him because with every stolen moment of safety she was getting more attached. And it could scarcely be wise.  
When Perseus leaned away and released his hold as if could sense that something had changed, she wasn't surprised. The demigod proved to be highly perceptive about those matters.  
Perseus gave her a faint smile and asked, “Better?”  
“Better,” Athena confirmed and added gratefully, “thank you.”  
“Good,” the demigod said resolutely. Before the situation could become too awkward for her, he mentioned that he brought food with him. Despite her lack of enjoyment of mortal food, Athena took up his unspoken offer and soon found herself in front of a wide selection.   
“I have your favourite,” he proclaimed and shot her a sharp glance.  
Now the goddess was absolutely positive that it was a test. She could only admire his cunning and strategy. He avoided open confrontation and got to check his suspicions without any risks. Fortunately, Athena happened to know Annabeth's preference. The satisfaction of not failing allowed the goddess to convincingly imitate pleasure from the treat. Athena needed to remind herself that it was good he doubted her because it meant that he saw beyond a pretty visage.   
Then Perseus beamed at her happily and the little traces of vexation at his mistrust completely vanished. After that the day went without a hitch and all too soon Athena was standing near her cabin, ready to part for the night. She received her customary goodbye hug and felt reassured.  
She was doing well, wasn't she? A secret smile with a touch of smugness appeared on her lips. However, when she saw her children, it reminded her of Annabeth, and the smile was gone.  
She was doing well, but could the same be said about Annabeth?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
They arrived at the doorstep of his parents' apartment quickly, much quicker than Athena would have liked. Though the goddess didn't think that his mother and stepfather would ruin her masquerade, they were two more people added into the equation. Once again the problem was that they had already met her daughter and Athena knew nothing of their relationship. She could only hope that their acquaintance was brief and they wouldn't notice any important discrepancies. Or they would attribute personality changes to war, teenage angst and gods only know what. Or they would be tactful enough not to mention anything. They might not give her too much attention at all!   
“Are you nervous, Annabeth?” Perseus was looking at her with concern, his hand that was rising to ring the bell fell down.  
“Nervous?” Athena echoed incredulously. She was never nervous, she always had several plans in hand. Why would she be nervous about meeting two mortals? That was just preposterous!  
“You were silent the whole ride and now you are biting your lip so hard that it's a wonder it's not bleeding yet,” he recited the facts with a frown. “Moreover we are standing in front of that door almost for a minute.”  
Was it true? Athena couldn't tell. Her mind was in disarray, creating and discharging numerous possibilities of what could go wrong. That, probably, meant that she was indeed nervous.   
“A little,” she answered and tried to insert a bit of confidence in her smile. She wasn't sure if she succeeded because the frown on his face stayed.   
“If you are worried that I told mom and Paul anything bad about you, I didn't,” he said in a calming voice.  
Athena was startled to realize that she had not thought about it at all. How could she overlook it?   
“No, I didn't even think about that,” she told him truthfully. She needed to explain her state and nothing came to mind. Why was she nervous? She had no reasons for that, neither as herself, nor as Annabeth. “When I met them it wasn't like that,” she ended saying lamely. It sounded awfully stupid and she was appalled at her eloquence.  
“When we weren't together?” the demigod clarified and his face lightened.  
“Exactly,” Athena nodded at him in appreciation. Though it was a good guess on his part, it didn't answer the question why she was nervous.  
“You have nothing to fear,” Perseus reminded her. “They already like you. It's not as if it's your first introduction to my parents.”  
Athena mentally cringed, but on the outside she schooled her features and gave him a sharp nod. He smiled at her reassuringly and raised his hand to ring the door. Not giving herself time to think, the goddess grabbed his other hand in a tight grip. The demigod soothingly caressed her skin with his thumb and rang the door.  
The first thing that Athena noticed about Sally Jackson was her warm smile at the sight of her son. It was full of delight and strongly reminded her of Perseus whenever he looked at her.  
“Percy!” Sally happily exclaimed and wrapped him in a hug. He enthusiastically reciprocated it but didn't let go of Athena's hand and she felt grateful for this small mercy. His mother released him and turned to greet her. “Hello, Annabeth, dear.”  
It sounded rather welcoming and friendly, thus meaning that her daughter had good relationship with Perseus' mother. Athena was relieved, though, that Sally Jackson didn't hug her, because she certainly wasn't ready for such close contact with her. Perseus was one thing, his mother – completely different one.   
“Hello,” the goddess awkwardly responded because she didn't know how she should address his mother.  
They were ushered inside and soon they were sent to unpack their things. Athena was placed in his room and Perseus himself was relocated to the couch in a sitting room. The goddess curiously looked around the room, it looked more empty, less lived than Annabeth's. It didn't give her any additional insight inside his character and it was not the time to search for anything now.  
She heard a knock on the door and then Perseus' voice. “Hey, Annabeth, are you done? Mom has made cookies.”  
“Yes,” Athena answered curtly and braced herself for what was coming. Her worries turned out to be groundless, at least for the moment. The Jacksons were catching up on what was happening in each other's lives. They didn't ignore her and tried to actively involve her in their talk, but the goddess was rather unresponsive. Athena's life was eventful as of late, but she couldn't be open about it and share. She felt like a third wheel and had to busy herself with food that she couldn't even taste. When it was only Perseus and herself, Athena didn't experience that kind of discomfort. She was his center of attention, now it was as if she was intruding, an extra person who happened to be left out. In the end she was almost sick from the food and excused herself, saying that she was tired and might take a nap. Two pairs of concerned eyes tracked her exit and she concluded with a miserable sigh that her performance could not be called adequate or satisfactory.  
The goddess locked herself in Perseus' room and paced the floor restlessly. She didn't understand her reactions clearly enough and it wasn't good. She stopped abruptly and tried to focus. It wasn't time for introspection, it was time to gather information. Athena needed to know what mother and son were talking about. Then she would plan her actions accordingly.  
“Yes, Annabeth was a little out of sorts lately,” Perseus was saying in a low voice. He sighed loudly. “She told me that it was difficult for her to adjust to life after the war had ended. I think she was depressed and tried to fill that emptiness inside with something. Or maybe she lacked purpose. I don't really know.” The demigod fell silent for a moment and then continued, “She seems better now, something has definitely changed.”  
“And what are you going to do about it?” His mother asked him.   
“I want to make her feel welcome and show her that the world is full of enjoyable things,” after a brief pause he added, “and that she is not alone.”  
“Sounds good, Percy!” Sally praised him. “And how exactly are you going about it?”  
“I was thinking about a history museum and then a meal in a nice place,” the demigod mused quietly. “And then we can do the things that we both missed. I know that Annabeth has never been to an amusement park. Some more museums, perhaps. Maybe cinema. Oh, Annabeth told me that she wanted to learn roller skating but didn't have the chance. I suppose we'll see how it goes.”  
“It seems you have it all figured out,” Sally concluded. “Do you need any help from me?”  
“Actually, yes,” Perseus sighed again. “I'd really appreciate it if you could occupy Annabeth tomorrow morning because I need to do something. Take her shopping, maybe. Of course, I'm paying.”  
“Alright,” his mother agreed easily. Athena inwardly urged her to press for details, but to her disappointment the woman only asked if he had enough money.   
Apparently, his answer was wordless because for quite a while they were silent. After that nothing of interest to her was said and the goddess was left in a rather anxious state. She had no idea what he needed to do alone but she suspected it had something to do with her daughter. Even worse, tomorrow Athena would be abandoned alone with his mother to do shopping. And then she would be subjected to the amusement park, cinema and roller skating. Those things installed a great dose of apprehension and reluctance in her. To say that she wasn't looking forward to it would be a great understatement. Roller skating seemed so undignified for a figure of her stature. She simply couldn't imagine herself doing it.  
Since Athena wasn't disturbed for several hours, she used that time to compose herself. When the door opens again, she would be calm and collected, nothing would rattle her.  
Perseus knocked on the door only when his stepfather came home and it was time for dinner. Athena stepped out of the door with her head held high and her features carefully schooled in a mask of a well-cultivated ease. This time she wasn't going to fail.  
And she didn't. The dinner went rather pleasantly, Athena even managed to start a conversation with Paul about his work. And then there were many stories about Perseus' expulsion from numerous schools. She glanced at him, he didn't look tense or angry that his mother decided to put him in a less than favourable light with her tales. In fact, he often peppered in smart comments making the story all the more hilarious. Athena couldn't help but smile a few times practically against her will. However she guessed there were a lot of negative feelings unspoken and left behind and that made her wondering if what he was projecting was real and genuine.   
After dinner they parted ways and Athena went with Perseus to his room. He was lounging in an old chair and looked a new sort of content and relaxed. It might be because he spent a whole evening with his family in his home.  
“So it wasn't anything to fear, was it?” he suddenly asked. The goddess frowned at first. She hated gloating and 'I told you so' phrases. But his eyes held no smugness, only concern for her. Sometimes a question was just a question, Athena reminded herself.  
“It went well,” she allowed and then added impulsively. “I might tend to overcomplicate things occasionally.”  
He laughed as if she had told something funny, but she wasn't offended in the least because his affection for her was almost palpable.  
“Are you alright with how your life turned out to be?” once again Athena relinquished her tight control and let herself be impetuous. She thought distractedly that she might be lulled in a sense of security along the way. “Would you change anything?”  
“No, right now I would not,” the words rolled heavily from his tongue and the goddess briefly felt guilty that she ruined the atmosphere because Perseus suddenly seemed older and sharper, weary. “I have my family, I have you and I have friends. Others might be not so fortunate. My life was not without its losses but I have all of you and I'm grateful for it.” He straightened his posture and she couldn't discern any doubts in his eyes. He might be telling the truth then. Athena found it hard to believe though. Who wouldn't grasp the chance to right all wrongs in their life?  
“Nothing?” she elaborated not giving up her attempts to understand him. “You have no regrets?”  
He snorted, “I have enough of those to last a lifetime, Wise Girl.”  
“Then why?” Athena asked and leaned forward as if closing the distance would help her understand.  
Perseus slowly reached out and lightly touched her cheek with his hand. Athena was given plenty of time to avoid the contact but she was curious of what his intentions were. At first his fingers didn't move, but when she didn't try to stop him, he started to caress her cheek tenderly. It felt more intimate than a hug because all the while he was looking in her eyes.  
“I've learned to live with my past, Annabeth,” he murmured quietly. “I've come to accept what made me who I am.”  
He pulled his hand away and she also drew back.  
But Athena still didn't understand. There was deeper meaning in his words, she knew it, only it evaded her despite her proclaimed intelligence that she prided herself upon.  
Perseus smiled. It was not a nice smile. There was something twisted and almost ugly about it. It didn't suit him at all.   
“You would have changed something, wouldn't you?” he pronounced it as a statement, not a question. “I have a guess why you are so closed off and keeping your distance. Call me a fool but I think you can't let go of the death of that one friend.” The words 'that one' held a stronger emphasis. “It's your point of no return where your life took the wrong turn.”   
Athena recoiled from him in shock, her mind immediately jumping to Pallas who had been her only true friend and whose death cut so deep that the wounds were still fresh and memories bright and bittersweet. The tragedy of Pallas' death divided her life into before and after. That day Athena became a changed goddess who calculated her every step and didn't allow mistakes.  
“Is it true then?” he asked and Athena could only stare at him helplessly. “You can't move past Luke's death and let me in.” His eyes were wide and brows drawn high, he released a strangled gasp. He looked like he connected all the dots in his head. “You are afraid.”  
Luke, Luke, Luke. The name was echoing in her head. He wasn't talking to her, he was talking to Annabeth. He didn't know anything! She just forgot who she was for a moment. Athena felt a hot wave of relief wash over her, but it was short-lived. The one of terror followed closely, because somehow he hit a nerve perfectly. She felt exposed the way she had never felt before.  
If he was right, then Annabeth had even more in common with her godly mother.  
While Athena was having an epiphany of her own, Perseus stood from his chair and came to the window. The room was slowly turning darker and outside the wind was starting to howl. A flash of lightning snapped the goddess out of her stupor.  
With careful steps the goddess glided towards the hero. She stood beside him, close enough to touch, but having no idea if the touch would be welcome or not. As she didn't want to risk his rejection, she ultimately decided against it.  
Perseus deliberately wasn't looking at her. It probably meant that the ball was in her court now. Athena didn't know how Annabeth would have reacted. But it didn't matter because Annabeth chose not to be here. Annabeth opted to run away, but Athena had lived too long not to know that you couldn't escape from yourself. She was done running. Although it wasn't her place to utilize his kindness and attention, Athena could not imagine another single person she could be honest with.  
“I never realized it, you know,” she whispered under her breath, “how much my life was overshadowed by what had happened to my friend.” By now Perseus had turned to face her and she was looking in his eyes that were giving her strength to continue. “It's true that I didn't come to terms with it. I didn't allow myself to grieve properly. And I've subconsciously held back because of so many reasons.” The goddess shook her head with a rueful smile. “I didn't speak about my friend with anyone and I want to rectify it. Would you be willing to listen to me, Percy?”  
“I'm here,” he said with a steady voice and an earnest look in his beautiful sea-green eyes, “and I'm all ears.”  
Athena opened her mouth and the tale began.


End file.
